ISLAMABAD: Following immense pressure by the apex court, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has started reconstruction of a Hindu temple in Karak.
The Supreme Court, while hearing about progress made on implementing its verdict on protection of minorities, had on April 16 ordered the K-P government to restore a Hindu temple in Karak and submit a report within two weeks.
In compliance with the Supreme Court’s order, Additional Advocate General K-P Waqar Ahmad Khan submitted a report on behalf of the Deputy Commissioner Karak.
According to the copy of the one page report, which is available with The Express Tribune, reconstruction work on the Samadhi (Shrine) of Hindu Saint Shri Param Hans Ji Maharaj at Teri district Karak had finally started under the supervision of the district administration. Keeping in view the long standing religious, sensitive dispute regarding the reconstruction of the shrine, heavy contingents of police had been deployed in the area.
The report added that the reconstruction took place after several continuous and hectic meetings of the division and district administration with the local hardliner Ulemas of Teri.
In order to preserve the harmony between the religious communities, the reconstruction work is subject to five conditions on which the two communities had agreed.
According to the report, first, the Hindu community will not indulge in preaching of their religion. Second, they will only be allowed to offer their religious prayers. Third, they will not be allowed to arrange any huge religious gathering in Samadhi. Four, Hindus will not be allowed to construct any large scale prayer place on the site. Five, they will not be allowed to purchase any further land in the area and will be restricted to the premises of Samadi.
The DC Karak further stated that the Samadi is the property of the Evacuee Trust Board. Hence, he suggested that proper arrangement at appropriate level must be made to streamline the issue.
According to the document, a Hindu shrine had been constructed at a place where Shri Paramhans Ji Maharaj died in 1919 and buried in Teri village. His followers used to visit the place to pay their respects and the practice continued till 1997 when the temple was dismantled.
Consequently, followers of Shri Paramhans Ji tried to rebuild the temple on the site which had allegedly been occupied by a local religious leader, even though the property belonged to the Auqaf department.
Hindu elders from Sindh then had to intervene and tried to negotiate and even paid Rs375,000 as cost of the land to the mufti in 1997. But despite receiving the money from then minority MPA Gian Chand, the mufti did not vacate the land.
Meanwhile, Patron-in-chief Pakistan Hindu Council Ramesh Kumar Vankwani has expressed his satisfaction on the report submitted by the K-P government.
Dr Vankwani in his statement termed this step as a victory of good over evil, adding that attacks against minorities, which result in social unrest, insecurity, violence and frustration, remain the key internal threats Pakistan is facing today. He hoped that the shrine will once again be open for pilgrims.